What's In A Promise?
by Zanza8
Summary: Tempestuous Temperaments from Mugen's point of view, along with the real reason why he agreed to go with Fuu on her journey.
1. The Ryukyuan

Mugen sauntered down the street, smirking as people changed direction when they caught sight of him. Everything about him seemed to make people nervous-his wild hair, unusual clothing, the scar dividing his right eyebrow, even his voice. And of course, the blue tattoos on his arms and legs. He tried not to think of the day he had acquired those….

_He__ had been coiling ropes and tying down cargo as the boat prepared to cast off. There weren't many supply ships plying the route between Ryukyu and Japan and it had taken him a while to find a captain willing to take him on, but he had finally gotten a berth. He hadn't been happy, exactly-he couldn't remember ever being actually happy, but he was looking forward to getting away from the prison island. He finished checking the rigging and started to go below when a squad of guards came on board for a final inspection._

_ They poked around, prying open boxes and peering below deck, then one of them recognized him. "Mugen. What the hell are you doing here?"_

_ Mugen straightened up, scowling. "Getting off this island."_

_ The guard's eyes narrowed. "You know no one's allowed to leave without permission. You have no right to go anywhere unless you've applied for a permit and paid all the fees."_

_ "Yeah, except no one can ever afford your fees without giving you everything they own." Mugen glared at the man. "I'm not a criminal-I can't help it that I was born here. I shouldn't have to stay if I don't want to."_

_ The captain came forward. "Is there a problem? I hired this man-you can see he's not a convict." He pointed to Mugen's wrists and ankles. "He said he wanted to work his way to Japan."_

_ The guard said coldly, "We were about to mark him when he got away. You're just lucky we caught him before you set sail." He gestured to his men and they surrounded Mugen and pulled him off the boat. _

_ They took him to the little hut where the tattoo supplies were kept and worked on him for the rest of the day, tossing him on the beach when they finished and laughing as he crawled to the water and scrubbed at the marks in a frenzy. The prisoners always tried to wash off the blue rings and the salt water did nothing but increase the agony of the thousands of tiny wounds where the ink was pounded into the skin, never to be removed…._

Mugen shook himself, nervously rubbing his wrists. It had been over a month before the swelling went down on his arms and legs and the marks stopped hurting. Worse was the pain of being branded like an animal. Three years and it still haunted him. His only consolation was that no one seemed to know what the tattoos meant. People didn't like the look of them, but they only signified a convicted criminal on Ryukyu.

His stomach growled and he paused outside a little tea house, spinning the yellow pinwheel set in front. A cheery voice called, "Good afternoon, sir!" as he pushed aside the curtain hanging in front of the door and went in.


	2. Meeting Fuu

The Ryukyuan's piercing grey eyes ran over the interior and he noted a group of five men in a corner. Four who wore swords were gathered around a man dressed in an expensive kimono, sporting a high ponytail and flashy rings. He was sitting between two girls and they all laughed as he thrust a hand down the front of one's kimono and she stiffened, her expression a mixture of fear and disgust.

He frowned, turning away from the sight of the obnoxious jerks and almost bumping into a girl in a pink kimono. "What can I get for you, sir?" she asked. It was the same voice that had greeted him when he walked in and he sat by the door and looked up at her. She was a little thing, way too skinny for his taste, but there was something about her….Mugen was used to seeing distrust and unfriendliness in people's expressions, or at best indifference. This girl was smiling a little, her shining brown eyes open and honest, looking at him as if she thought he was just as good as anybody else.

It was oddly disconcerting and Mugen doggedly shoved the warm feeling the girl's expression gave him to the back of his mind. "Water."

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Get me some water."

"I'm sorry, but we only serve paying customers. You'll have to order something more than water."

The Ryukyuan's eyes went again to the group in the corner. One of the men was pulling up a girl's kimono and she had tears in her eyes as she pulled it back down. He beckoned and the waitress came closer. "Fifty dumplings. Is it a deal? You feed me and I'll take care of those guys for you."

The girl looked over at the unruly customers. "Maybe for twenty."

Mugen glared. "Are you kidding? Fifty-not one less."

"Hey, Fuu! Where's my tea?" The man with the ponytail was yelling and the waitress straightened up, sighing.

"Yes, sir, coming right up." She stopped by the kitchen to pick up a little tray with a teapot and a cup on it and started for the corner.

Mugen lolled on the bench. Fuu. What a stupid name. A girl should have a pretty name, especially a little skinny girl who didn't have much more going for her than the most beautiful brown eyes….He shook himself. Why was he even still here? He wasn't going to get anything to eat so he might as well be on his way. Then the waitress tripped and any thought of leaving disappeared from his mind.

Green tea splashed all over the man in the corner and he sat up straight, an expression of outrage on his face. "What's wrong with you, you stupid little…."

"I'm very sorry, sir." Fuu's voice was shaky but she stood her ground. Mugen found himself admiring her courage-anybody could see the guy was a bully but he supposed she was used to dealing with people like this.

"I don't want to hear you're sorry." The man smiled unpleasantly. "I want to hear how you're going to make it up to me. One finger or two? I suppose one ought to be enough. Go ahead, Hayashi, you've been wanting to give your new blade a test cut."

Now Fuu did shrink back as two of the other men grabbed her and bent her over the table, pulling her hand forward. A third drew a sword and slashed at the air, smirking. "Sounds good, Matsunusuke. She'll do just fine."

Mugen's eyes widened. Even by his rude standards, this was going a little too far. He looked completely relaxed, laying on his side on the bench, but the hand propping up his head was only an inch from his sword and his legs were curled, ready to spring to his feet. He wasn't about to get involved, but for some reason he felt reluctant to walk out. He was almost positive the men were just having some rough fun with the girl and she would come to no real harm, but he wanted to be sure before he left. He held his breath as the sword grazed her cheek.

"Stop struggling or you'll lose more than just a finger." The sword ran lightly over Fuu's face and she whimpered, going very still as the cold metal touched her. "That's better. Now what'll it be? Your nose, maybe? Or how about an ear?"

"One hundred dumplings!" she cried as the men exchanged puzzled looks.

The Ryukyuan jumped up. If she was scared enough to offer that many dumplings, maybe he should do something about it. It wasn't every day he was offered that much free food. "Well, boys, your lives ain't worth squat, are they? I figure a hundred dumplings works out to five dumplings a pop."

His math was off but the message was clear and the men released the terrified waitress and drew their swords. Hayashi sneered, "You're a gutsy little punk. Now shut your mouth before I decide to try my sword out on you."

Mugen saw Fuu run for the kitchen. "Bring it on." The man lunged at him, swinging his sword with more enthusiasm than skill, and Mugen dodged lazily, bringing his blade down on his opponent's arm. Hayashi went white with shock, staring at the bloody stump where his arm used to be, and Mugen laughed. "Come on, boys. Don't worry about the formalities coming one at a time-I'll take you all on!" He whipped the blood off his sword, his eyes darting from one to another, and the remaining three charged. The Ryukyuan danced to one side, impaling the first man to reach him, and the other two backed off, eyeing him warily as he approached their friend in the corner.

Matsunusuke's jaw hung open as he contemplated the destruction. It had all happened too quickly for him to process-one minute he had been having a little harmless fun with that stupid girl, the next there was blood and body parts and one of his men dead on the floor. He pulled himself together, glaring at Mugen. "Are you some kind of moron?" The Ryukyuan's lack of response encouraged him and he sat up straighter, his voice taking on an ugly tone. "You just don't get it. My father is the governor so anybody who messes with me pays for it big time." He laughed uproariously. "Fact is, they don't live long enough to see the next sunrise." He cringed as Mugen leaned over and grabbed his ponytail, slicing it off and dropping it on the table in front of him. "Are you crazy? Don't you understand what I just said?"

Mugen grinned. "I'm from Ryukyu, pal. I couldn't care less about what you just said."

Matsunusuke blanched. "My….my father has three expert bodyguards. Leave now and I won't have them kill you."

The Ryukyuan glanced around the room. The waitress, Fuu, was standing in the kitchen door, her eyes huge with fear, and something about that look caused his anger to surge. He snarled at Matsunusuke, "Give me your hand." The man pulled back and Mugen grabbed his hand, glaring at the two remaining friends. "You're going to leave and I'm going to count to ten. You have until then to get those bodyguards back here." He pressed hard on a finger, smiling darkly as it snapped and Matsunusuke screamed in pain. "That's one." The two men ran out the door as Mugen snapped another finger. "And two."

He started to press on a third finger and Matsunusuke moaned, "No, don't….please, don't…." His voice trailed off in incoherent sobs as light flashed across the room from the raised curtain at the door.


	3. Meeting Jin

The young man who walked in was pale, almost unhealthily so, an effect heightened by his dark blue kimono. Blinking owlishly through wire-framed glasses at the scene in front of him, he said softly, "You are in the middle of something. Pardon me." He turned to go, but Mugen had registered the two swords at his belt.

"Hey! Are you one of those so-called bodyguards?" He started towards the samurai and the man drew his sword, swirling gracefully as the Ryukyuan cut at him. For a moment they strove together, then the samurai drew back.

"You've got the wrong man but don't bother waiting for the bodyguards. They're gone."

Mugen's eyes narrowed. "Gone?"

The samurai nodded. "I killed all three."

"Better yet!" Mugen was really starting to enjoy himself. It had been so much _fun_ torturing that bully-now he had the bonus of grappling with someone who might be able to give him a good fight. The little waitress had all but vanished from his mind and he lunged again at the samurai, who countered with so much speed he was barely able to avoid the strike. He dropped to the floor and kicked at the man's legs and the samurai twisted to one side and set himself for another slash as Mugen popped to his feet. He leaped over the blade, landing on a table and bringing up his foot to block another blow. The sword hit the bottom of his geta with shattering force. If they hadn't been shod with steel, Mugen's foot would have been taken clean off.

Neither man noticed Hayashi as he poured a jug of sake on the floor and lit a match. Flames roared up and people ran for the door, dodging the two sword fighters and slapping at sparks. Mugen dropped to the floor and knocked the table over, then leaped over it at the samurai. "I can't imagine a more perfect setting!"

The samurai shook his head. "Aren't you going to run?"

"No, but don't stay on my account." The Ryukyuan gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, ducking under his opponent's blade and closing in for the kill just as the roof fell in.


	4. The Sentence

Mugen shook his head to clear it, opening his eyes and gazing in puzzlement at the ground. It wasn't usually so far away and he became aware that he was tightly bound and hanging from a rope, his entire body aching. Several middle-aged men stood in front of him, regarding him with disapproval, and he looked around. The samurai hung next to him, his clothing disheveled and sooty but his expression calm. If he felt as bad as Mugen did he wasn't showing it. The Ryukyuan cleared his throat and spoke with bravado. "What the hell is going on here?"

The samurai rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember?"

"I remember a dream where there was fire all around me."

"It wasn't a dream."

A fat man in a white kimono stepped forward. "It's too bad for you it wasn't a dream." He paused for a moment, then went on in a voice in which hate and grief were equally mingled. "My son burned to death in that fire and you're both going to pay for it. You'll be executed in the morning." He turned away. "See that they're not bored tonight."

Several guards came up behind Mugen and the samurai, cut them down, and dragged them away.


	5. In the Prison

Mugen struggled furiously as four guards stripped him to the waist, then tied him to a pole next to the pale samurai. Their eyes met, and he read the same resolution he felt not to give the guards the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. The samurai smiled faintly and nodded slightly, just once. Then there was nothing but pain.

It seemed to go on for hours before their torn and battered bodies were cut down and thrown into a cell to wait for the morning. They lay side by side, breathing unevenly and trying to hold back their groans as adrenaline ebbed and the chill of the night air seeped into them. Mugen thought the samurai had fallen asleep until the man spoke. "I swear you are the lowest of the low."

The Ryukyuan turned his head. "What did you say?"

The samurai stared at the ceiling. "Your stance leaves you wide open, your moves are totally inefficient….all in all, your fighting style is a mess." Mugen tried to sit up and fell back, gasping in pain as his companion in misery went on. "You're the most undisciplined fighter I have ever known." A smile crossed his lacerated face. "And you're the only fighter I have been unable to kill."

The Ryukyuan grinned, strangely pleased. "Mugen is the name."

"My name is Jin."

There was a soft sound at the door and both men rolled over. Jin was content to lie on his stomach, peering forward, but the Ryukyuan caught a flash of pink and began slowly crawling towards it. After a few feet he was close enough to make out the little waitress, Fuu, and he dropped his face on his arm. The very sight of her was unsettling-he didn't understand his impulse to stay at the tea house after she had refused to feed him and he was confused to find himself feeling relieved that she was all right.

"It looks like they really put you two through the ringer," she said sadly.

Mugen raised his head. He recognized the look on the girl's face, although he had never seen such a look directed at him. She was gazing at him with concern and his confusion worsened into anger. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be lying here waiting for his life to be ended in the morning and yet….his anger faded as he realized he wasn't sorry he had saved her.

Neither man spoke and Fuu leaned forward. "Don't you want to know why I'm here?"

"No," growled Mugen, thoroughly exasperated with the girl. Didn't she realize how much danger she was in? If the guards caught her, she might well be joining him and the samurai on the execution ground in the morning. He closed his eyes, wishing she would go away.

She got to her feet. "See you around."

The Ryukyuan's eyes popped open as she turned to go. "Wait a minute." He raised himself on one elbow. "I was just kidding."

The girl knelt down again, smiling. "I thought so." She held up a key. "If you promise to do me a favor, I'll let you out. Is it a deal?"

"I promise," murmured Jin. The girl nodded at him and looked expectantly at Mugen.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you want." Mugen watched for a moment as she worked on the lock, then asked, "So what's this favor?"

Fuu paused. "I want you to help me find someone. A samurai who smells of sunflowers."

They heard the guards and Jin pulled himself forward. "You should hurry."

Fuu resumed work on the lock, twisting the key with greater force. "I can't….wait a minute….there!" A loud snap rang through the cell and she held up the bottom half of the broken key. "Sorry."

"There she is!" There was the sound of running feet and she jumped up, running off without a backward look. A moment later the guards pounded past the cell and Mugen and Jin were alone again.

The Ryukyuan rolled onto his back. "That was really stupid. What the hell did she come for anyway?"

"She wanted a favor," said Jin softly.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't look like we'll be doing anything for anybody." Mugen assured himself he didn't care one way or the other, but he couldn't help hoping the girl would escape the guards.


	6. The Execution Ground

It was barely first light when the door to the cell was thrown open. Mugen groaned as he was jerked to his feet and his hands were tied tightly behind him. Jin grunted with pain as he was subjected to the same treatment. There was no point in struggling, but the Ryukyuan still resisted as he was shoved towards the door. One of the guards raised a fist.

"Don't bother," said the man in charge. "We want them wide awake for their execution." He shook the Ryukyuan, grinning at the look of pure hate he received. "Something you want to say?"

"Anything I say to you will be with my sword," Mugen snarled. There was an angry hum of voices from the guards, then the prisoners were hustled out to the courtyard and forced to their knees.

The Ryukyuan blinked in the bright sun. Two dozen guards were scattered around the courtyard and there had to be at least a hundred spectators. He wondered idly if Fuu was among them. He hoped not. If she had gotten away safely last night, she should stay away. Far, far away, where she would never have to see something like what was about to happen here….where she could live in peace and quiet….Mugen sighed. Maybe it was time to die if he was going to go this soft over a skinny girl who had brought him so much grief.

"Are you at peace with yourself?" Jin's voice broke into the Ryukyuan's thoughts.

Mugen chuckled. "Every day I ask myself if this will be the last time I see the sun."

"Vagrant Mugen! Vagrant and ronin Jin!" The governor had approached and was holding up a large roll of paper. "You are hereby ordered to be executed by decapitation and your heads will be put on display. If you wish, you may now apologize and beg for forgiveness."

The Ryukyuan raised himself as tall as he could on his knees. "If living means bowing down to the likes of you, I'd rather die on my feet with my head held high."

"Well said." Jin smiled approvingly. "I agree with him."

The governor's face reddened with rage. "Very well. I will grant your wish and send you straight to the afterlife." He nodded at the executioners and they raised their swords.

Mugen turned his head and met Jin's eyes and as the blades came down he lunged to one side, knocking the weapon out of one of the executioner's hands. The samurai threw himself backwards, pressing his bound hands on the sharp edge and slicing through the ropes, then grabbed Mugen and cut his bonds. The Ryukyuan dodged a vicious slash from the other executioner, dropping the man with a well-placed kick and seizing his weapon. He set his back against Jin's and grinned over his shoulder. "Yo. We put our fight on hold until we get out of here, agreed?"

The samurai shook his head. "You intend to kill them all, don't you? You really are the lowest of the low."

The governor cowered behind his guards. "You men are fools if you think you're going to get out of here alive!"

The resulting fight left several guards dead and the remainder milling around, trying to find an opening against the two condemned men. The governor shouted threats and invective, then sputtered to a silence, watching in horror as more guards were cut down and the pale samurai approached, contemplating him silently. He looked around wildly, then threw himself to his knees in front of Jin. "You can have whatever you want!" He was still holding up his hands in a plea for mercy as the two halves of his body fell to the ground.

Jin backed up to Mugen. "I killed the governor."

"Great, but these cockroaches keep coming." The Ryukyuan was panting for breath and wondering if they were going to die after all when the samurai nudged him and nodded at the roof. Mugen's eyes widened at the sight of Fuu, perched on the highest point of the building. She was holding a couple of large balls and as he watched, she struck a match and lit them, throwing them down to the courtyard. His reflexes took over and he ran, trying to get to safety before the bombs went off.


	7. Coin Toss

Mugen ducked down a side street and leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He tensed as another man came around the corner, then relaxed as he recognized Jin. "You made it out too."

"Of course." The samurai smiled briefly and held up his sword. "This would seem to be a good time to finish our fight."

"Fine with me." The two men faced each other, weapons at the ready, and started circling each other.

"Oh, no, you don't!"

Startled, they broke off, identical expressions of irritation spreading across their faces as Fuu ran down the street. She planted herself squarely between them, scowling. "Have you forgotten you made me a promise?"

Jin's eyes narrowed. "I haven't forgotten but our fight comes first."

"It's first on my list too," said the Ryukyuan cheerfully.

Fuu huffed indignantly. "A promise is a promise and if you two kill each other there won't be anyone to help me. What good is your promise then?" She reached in her sleeve and pulled out a coin. "We'll settle it by tossing this coin. If it's heads you can fight but if it's tails, you forget about the fight and come with me."

Mugen's jaw tightened and he grabbed the coin, throwing it as hard as he could. They watched it soar out of sight, Fuu venturing the opinion he might have tossed it too hard.

"He doesn't know the meaning of restraint," murmured Jin.

The Ryukyuan grinned as the coin plunged back down, landing on Fuu's forehead just as several voices started shouting at them. The two men took off, the girl right behind them waving the coin. "Hey, look, you guys! It's tails! I won!" She tripped and fell into them, sending them all sprawling on the ground.

Mugen swore furiously and grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder. Jin ducked down an alley, beckoning frantically, and the Ryukyuan followed, dropping the girl unceremoniously as they crouched behind some empty barrels. She opened her mouth and the two men clapped their hands across her face as the prison guards raced past.

The samurai held up a hand, then crept to the entrance of the alley, looking cautiously up and down the street. Returning to his companions, he murmured, "All clear."

"Let's go." Mugen grabbed Fuu's wrist and pulled her to her feet.

"Do you have to be so rough?" she asked acidly.

He ignored her, dragging her along, and she looked to the pale samurai. Jin seemed lost in his own thoughts and Fuu sighed and resigned herself to concentrating on keeping up with Mugen's long strides. An hour later they were clear of the town and she pulled fiercely on her arm. The Ryukyuan released her and she resumed walking at a more sedate pace, following the two men as they went into the forest outside of town.


	8. Decision Time

Mugen angled off the path, finding a small clearing and looking around with satisfaction. "This should be good for the night."

"I will gather wood for a fire," said Jin.

"You do that." Mugen watched the samurai go, then turned to Fuu. "I'm out of here. You'll be okay now-you've got pretty boy to keep you company."

Fuu gazed up at him. "But you promised you would help me find the samurai who smells of sunflowers."

Mugen stared at her in disbelief. She actually expected him to keep a promise? In his entire life, he had never even known anyone who made a promise. This girl might look at him as if he was just as good as anybody else, but he knew better. He hadn't survived his childhood on Ryukyu and made it off the island by lying to himself. He knew he was trash but it didn't matter. His needs were simple-food when he was hungry, a place to sleep when he was tired, and sex whenever and wherever he could find it. As long as he kept to himself, no one could hurt him. It had worked for him ever since the day they marked him as a criminal and he wasn't about to change now. He rubbed his wrists absently and Fuu laid a gentle finger on one of the tattoos.

"Do they hurt?"

"No." Mugen dropped his hands. "Don't touch me."

She looked at him sadly and he felt as if he were drowning in her eyes. He was torn in a way he had never known, wanting to leave, wanting to stay, trying to ignore a small voice in the back of his mind that whispered if he left now no one was ever going to look at him like that again. He had been hated and despised for so long, he had put so much energy into walling himself off from other people, that he didn't care now if someone saw something good in him. She was just imagining it anyway if she thought she saw something honorable in him, something that would make him do the _right_ thing. There was nothing in him to see and he told himself fiercely to walk away and leave her to the samurai, Jin.

Mugen frowned. If he did go, he would never have a chance to kill Jin. He really should do that first….but if he killed the man, Fuu would be all alone unless he stayed….he could stay for a while and kill Jin later, but if he did that he would be around this girl every day and he didn't want that….He wondered if she would give up her idea of searching for the smelly samurai if he killed Jin now and she didn't have anyone to go with her.

No. She couldn't stay in this town even if she wanted to, not after sneaking into a prison and throwing bombs at local officials. But there was more than that. The Ryukyuan recognized determination when he saw it. She looked the way he felt the day he finally escaped the island. Once he had been marked, he should have been trapped there forever but he had found a ship to stow away on, hiding in the cargo hold and never coming out until they docked in Japan a week later. He had been almost dead of thirst but he still thought it was the best decision he had ever made. Now he could see that same resolve in Fuu. Whoever this man was, she would do anything to find him. She was too reckless, and coming from him that was saying something. How long would she last if she went off on her own? He thought of the tea house and the men bending her over a table, threatening her with a sword. What would happen to her if she got in a mess like that again and he wasn't there?

As this last thought crossed Mugen's mind, all his confusion fell away. Fuu was the most aggravating person he had ever met and he was sure she was going to cause him nothing but trouble, but he wanted her to be safe. If he had to use meaningless words and not kill Jin yet to protect her, that's what he would do. He took a deep breath and said gruffly, "I'll stay, all right?"

Her face lit up. "And keep your promise?"

"And keep my promise." He dropped to the ground, sprawling on his side and scowling at the girl as she sat next to him, smiling brightly.

"It's too bad we don't have anything to eat," she said, "but I do have a little money. We can probably buy some food tomorrow…."

Mugen relaxed as Fuu chattered on. She was annoying, there was no doubt about that, and she wasn't much to look at either, but something in his wounded spirit was calmed by her shining brown eyes. Maybe being around her for a while wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
